Dylan Brock’s ongoing investigation into who the new Venom is in All-New Venom is dwindling the suspects. It’s a subject fans keep analyzing in Venom Unleashed, AIPT’s exclusive Venom column, and another suspect is off the table in this week’s All-New Venom #3. Outside of who is under the symbiote, this series continues to flex a different kind of muscle for this quirky Venom with all sorts of new powers.
If I had to describe All-New Venom in one phrase, it’d be lighthearted fun, but things get a bit serious in issue #3. That’s because Dylan has tracked down Venom, putting himself in a dangerous situation as Venom fights Nicholas Powell, aka Chance. Dylan witnessed Chance blow a hole through Venom’s head in the last issue, which removes Luke Cage from the suspect list.
Carlos Gomez’s detailed and super-clean pencils, with colors by Frank D’Armata, make this issue fun. The fun doesn’t stop with new abilities, like a symbiote cannon that shoots balls of webs or the ongoing weirdness of super-straight Venom teeth. At one point, Venom goes berserker mode, and Gomez does a great job transforming the suit and head–complete with a long tongue–to show the symbiote can go back to basics. How has Gomez not drawn an event yet?
A gruesome first page!
Credit: Marvel
As far as the big confrontation between Dylan and Venom, writer Al Ewing doesn’t disappoint. It’s fun to see the bratty Dylan trying to guess who is under the symbiote while the symbiote basically mothers him. Ewing gives us good bits of info in their dialogue scene, including where Sleeper may be and whether Venom can find Eddie Brock.
Paul continues to show up in this book. Love him or hate him, it’s fun to see Dylan push back on Paul. Heck, Paul’s honestly trying to be a decent parental figure here, which seems to suggest Ewing is building on the character.
One gripe I had with this issue is that it’s set mostly in one location. There are two more locations near the end, but much of this issue is devoted to a few minutes in a warehouse. That slows the plot progression and pace, ever so slightly.
All-New Venom #3 combines character-driven moments and wild new symbiote abilities to great effect, though a limited setting and slower pace hold it back from fully hitting its stride. At the end of the day, this issue offers jaw-dropping symbiote action and character twists that will have fans buzzing about the identity of Venom all month long.
You must be logged in to post a comment.